Community

Special thanks to Brian Carpenter (@inthedc) from In the DC fame for his time on this podcast. This episode specifically discusses community and has a lot of hat tips to many of the folks in the EMC Elect and Cisco Champion programs. Had a lot of fun making this and look forward to making many … Continue reading Community →

Resolution 7: Tiering Data and Apps

April Fools Day was this week and I wonder how many people took a look a their data protection thanks to the efforts of World Backup Day that happened on the 31st? I also wonder how many admins are played jokes on their bosses by claiming to have lost data, or failed to protect critical information? Probably not many. Seriously … Continue reading Resolution 7: Tiering Data and Apps →

Bigger Engine Means Better Tires

So you just deployed your new flash array and realize that your hosts aren't screaming around the track like you were expecting. They're fast, but they could be faster. Part of the problem is that you just introduced a big fat engine into that old 1980's Civic frame with balding blades for tires. Sure it'll work and … Continue reading Bigger Engine Means Better Tires →

Community and the EMC Elect

Today I was humbled and honored to be invited to join the EMC Elect team for a second year. This is truly amazing and I am so happy to be amongst such a talented and forward thinking group of individuals. So how did I get chosen? First, I was nominated. I have to thank many … Continue reading Community and the EMC Elect →

Resolution 2: Convergence

Today at VMware Partner Exchange, EMC announced their new EVO:RAIL solution called VSPEX Blue. Great segue into an article about what the market looks like for convergence which happens to also be "Resolution 2." As usual, we need a few key definitions first. Converged platforms combine multiple aspects of the traditional infrastructure stack into a single … Continue reading Resolution 2: Convergence →

33 Flavors of Flash

So maybe not 33, but there are so many different ways to approach flash in a data center environment. The correct approach depends on multiple factors, and understanding the differences between the varying architectures is critical. It is also important to remember the soft criteria. Your solution should simplify administration, reduce risk of data loss, improve … Continue reading 33 Flavors of Flash →

Event: Unique Digital at Data Connectors

Come visit the UDI North Texas team at the Data Connectors show on January 22nd. Get your FREE VIP pass now! The Dallas Tech-Security Conference features 25-30 vendor exhibits and several industry experts discussing current tech-security issues such as email security, VoIP, LAN security, wireless security, USB drives security & more. There will be lots … Continue reading Event: Unique Digital at Data Connectors →

15 Resolutions for the 2015 Revolution

Last year about this time, I outlined 14 resolutions to get your data protection strategy back on track. I called it a revolution because us IT folk typically have to fight to get what we want and bring change to an organization that fights change. That makes us revolutionaries. It's time to check back in … Continue reading 15 Resolutions for the 2015 Revolution →

Flash Market Shape

Is it round? Pear? Square? Wavy? Hard to say, but one thing is certain, 2014 has been an active year for the flash market. Just take a look at some of the changes that have been seen this year alone. WD (HGST) purchased Skyera EMC Acquired DSSD Seagate picked up LSI's flash business and Avago … Continue reading Flash Market Shape →

Converged or "Build Your Own" VDI

Building out a VDI infrastructure requires great care and planning. Do you have enough performance from your storage infrastructure? Do you have a well defined performance objective for your users? Are you going to use a converged platform for your infrastructure or do you plan to leverage a reference architecture? Do you even know where to … Continue reading Converged or "Build Your Own" VDI →